The general concept of recycling paper is well known and a variety of methods exist for recycling paper and generating products from that paper. Generally, recycled paper lacks the structural integrity, rigidity and stability of the original paper incorporated into the recycled products. Moreover, the processes for recycling, or reclaiming, paper can be expensive and can require the use of a variety of chemicals.
It is also generally known to use wet or pulped process papers combined with an adhesive such as polyvinyl acetate based glue or a starch for a variety of purposes, for example, as arts and crafts material. These processes are generally known as “papier-mâché” processes. The resulting products are generally fragile, are unstable and will degrade over time, limited in stability by the integrity of the original paper and the effectiveness of the recycling process. Untreated, the products will develop mold and commonly will rot from the inside out. The processes heretofore known generally result in a finished product which is structurally weak, quickly degrades and is not suitable for any load bearing applications. It is common to lay the papier-mâché over a frame to lend strength to the end product or to otherwise provide supplementary supporting members to the product.
The current invention overcomes the limitations of the known processes and results in a pulped paper product that is rigid, highly stable, and has structural rigidity substantial enough to bear moderate loads. Moreover, the process is easy and inexpensive in comparison to many previously known methods for creating recycled paper products.